In a shocking case of moral policing, a Hindu boy and his Muslim sister were brutally assaulted by a group of Muslim youths on Saturday (6th January), in Belagavi, Karnataka. The cousins, residents of Yamnapur on the outskirts of Belagavi city, were at the Fort Lake premises. They had come to register for the Yuva Nidhi scheme. A lunch break at the cyber centre in Belagavi led them to wait at the lake, where the assault occurred.
This boy is identified as Sachin Lamani (age 18) and his cousin is identified as Muskan Patel (age 22). Sachin Lamani is a Dalit Hindu. His aunt, father’s sister, married a Muslim man, and therefore his cousin is Muslim. The police have registered a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
The victims, who were mistaken for a couple by the attackers, were targeted due to their different religious identities. The brother and sister, in an attempt to clarify their relationship, faced violence when the group refused to believe they were cousins. “A group of accused rushed towards us and attacked us. They asked us who you are and how you are related to each other and dragged us to a nearby room,” the boy recounted.
He added, “They asked why a Hindu and a Muslim were sitting together. I told them she wasn’t a Muslim but my own aunt’s daughter. They took both of our phones. They snatched away Rs 7,000.”
He further said, “When we went to apply for the scheme, they asked us to come after an hour as it was lunchtime. So, we went to sit by Killa Lake. The miscreants were drunk when they came to us. They took a rod and thrashed us.”
The attackers, armed with pipes and rods, beat the siblings mercilessly for hours, causing severe injuries. The assailants also tried to strangulate Sachin by his neck. During the assault, the boy contacted the police by calling 112. Acting swiftly, the Belagavi city police traced their location and rescued them. Both victims are now receiving critical care in the Intensive Care Unit of the district hospital.
City Police Commissioner SN Sidram informed, “We have arrested eight people in connection with the case on Sunday. An FIR has been registered against 17 people. The investigation is on.”
This incident has sparked outrage and concern over the rise of moral policing incidents in the city, particularly those driven by religious biases. The swift action by the police in arresting the primary suspects has been noted, but the incident raises significant questions about the safety of citizens in public spaces.
